Italian Renaissance - Russell

(Originally written August 17, 2006 in Book 7)

Well, I haven't delved into Russell's book in about two and a half weeks. It's time to get back to the basics.

Stress. What a common feeling these days.

"The Italian Renaissance"

Florence was the most cultured city in the civilized world at the time.

Florence was divided into three conflicting classes:
1) The Nobles (mainly Ghibellines)
2) The rich merchants (Guelf)
3) The small men (Guelf)

The Guelf defeated the Ghibellines in 1266.

In the 14th century the small men over powered the rich merchants.

The conflict resulted in Democracy, but the Medici family ultimately took control of Florence.

Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464) was the first of the family to dominate Florence uncontestedly.

Lorenzo the Magnificent (Cosimo's grandson) reigned from 1469-1492.

Lorenzo's son, Pietro was expelled in 1494 and a puritan sort of revival lasted in Florence until the Medici were restored in 1512.

Pope Leo X was elected in 1513. He was one of Lorenzo's sons.

The Medici family governed Florence until 1737 under the title of Grand Dukes of Tuscany.

The temporal power of the Pope increased dramatically during the Renaissance. The increase of temporal power robbed the Papacy of its spiritual authority.

Italy was dedicated to culture, but not to morality during the Renaissance.

Pope Nicholas V (1447-1455) was the first humanist Pope.

Humanism began to replace piety and orthodoxy until the sack of Rome in 1527.

Pope Leo X (1513-1521) marked a return to spiritual reformation in the Papacy. It was needed after the world popes of the Renaissance.

Naples and Milan were constantly subject to invasion by the French but were defeated by Spanish troops. Spain was closely allied with the Pope.

The Reformation, Counter-Reformation and the sack of Rome by a Protestant army in 1527 put the Italian Renaissance to an end.

The Renaissance was not a time of great philosophical growth.

The Renaissance did set up the great philosophical advance of the 17th century with two things:
1) A real interest in Plato
2) A choice between Aristotelian Scholasticism and Platonism. It broke down the rigid scholastic system.

The humanist movement was too focused on rediscovering ancient wisdom to produce any original philosophy.

The humanists disliked the way the world popes of the renaissance defiled the Church, but were too involved in the same pope's courts to initiate reform.

"The evils of papal corruption were obvious, but nothing was done about them" (Russell, 503).

Morals were low in this time, but architecture, painting and poetry prospered. Leonardo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli were produced in this time.

Renaissance Philosophy - Russell

(Originally written July 29, 2006 in Book 7)

The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell
Book Three (Modern Philosophy)

Pt. 1 From the Renaissance to Hume

Ch. 1 - General Characteristics

'Modern' times differs from the Medieval period in many ways. These are the two most important:

1) The diminishing power of the Church
2) The increasing authority of science

These two led to others:
-Culture becoming less clerical dominated
-State government replacing Church power

Ecclesiastical judgments are pronounced as absolute and unalterable. Scientific judgments are liable to change with new discovery. This produces a different mind set for modern thinkers.

The fall of the Church power led to individualism to the point of anarchy.

The Italian Renaissance was an embracement of anarchy.

The Reformation and counter-reformation put an end to the good and bad components of the Italian Renaissance.

Modern philosophy is individualistic and subjective.

The extreme subjectivism of this period is a form of madness.

Scientific technique is a cure for individualism and subjectivism.

"Unlike religion, it is ethically neutral: it assures men that they can perform wonders, but does not tell them what wonders to perform" (Russell, 494).

Linehan - Thus, as soon as the objective scientific technique is used it becomes subjective to the users desire? Hmmm.

Chapter II - The Italian Renaissance

The Renaissance began in Italy and marked the beginning of the modern mind.

There were five powerful Italian states:

1) Milan
2) Venice
3) Florence
4) the Papal Domain
5) Naples

Florence was the most civilized city in the world and the birth place of the Renaissance.

Renaissance Popes & Martin Luther

(Originally Written April 19, 2006 in 3 Subject)

European Religious History

Problems in the Renaissance Church:
1. Simony
2. Clerical Marriage
-Priests with wives or concubines
-upper Church officials with concubines and children
-Popes known to have illegitimate children
3. Nepotism
-Nepotism leads to the building of Clerical Dynasties
4. Pluralism (having two positions simultaneously)
-An unfortunate, but sometime necessary evil in some cases on account of the black death
-Non-residency of bishops in their bishoprics

Renaissance Popes
-Council of Constance (1411-1414)
-Reformation
-Most Renaissance Popes are looked cross-eyed at by the people for various religious issues

Systux IV - Nepotism, but begins the building of the Sistine Chapel and commissions Michaelangelo

Innocent VIII - (worst example of the Renaissance Popes) - 16 illegitimate children, which is widely known. Continues the Papal trend of centralizing Papal authority by creating 52 new administration jobs

Alexander VI (1492-1503)
-Buys the Papacy
-Borgia, son of Alexander VI, is sent in military action to divide the Papal States into his own familial lands

Julius II (1503-1513) - Leads the Papal army against his own enemies, dubbed "The Warrior Pope"
-Erasmus of Roderdam wrote "Julius Exclusivis" as a satire of Julius II
-Julius II did however commission the building of St. Peter's Basilica

Leo X (1513-1521)
-1st Medici Family Pope
-Pope during Martin Luther's 95 thesis posting
-Leo X was made Archbishop at age 8 and a Cardinal at age 13 by the Medici family

Problems in the Holy Roman Empire
- Holy Roman Empire elects its emperor with the 7 princes (7 noble families)
-Because of elections, Germany cannot consolidate power like France and England. Emperors are also unable to ensure dynastic succession.
-This sets the tables for Martin Luther to shake up the world.

1)All of Europe has a looming presence in the east. The ottoman Empire is the most powerful empire in the region (Turkey & Greece). The Pope and the Holy Roman Empire have the most to worry about because the Holy Roman Empire is not consolidated and the Pope already has problems with the Ottomans, the Holy Roman Empire, The French King, the French Catholic Church and various others in Europe.

2)The Printing Press: Luther's crew is better with this new invention than the Pope's Catholic Brigade.

3)Literacy is on the rise because of the Renaissance ideal of education and emphasis on public schools.

4) Luther appeals to the German princes to overthrow the Catholic Church, who are politically estranged from the Papacy.